National Republican., 1887-08-23
TO THE VIRGINIA VOTERS.
ADDRESS OF THE REPUBLICAN, STATE
COMMITTEE.
Principles of tho Party Expounded-
A Platform All Can stand Upon
Democrats Deluding the People -
Keynote OF the Campaign of 1887.


Keynote OF the Campaign of 1887.
The following is the full text OF the ad-
dress issued by the Republican state com
mittee for the campaign Of 1887:
FELLow-CiTIzKNs: The managers of the
noke on the 4th OF August, 1887, and promul
gated q platform-in reality a series of apollo
gles for their broken pledges.
II has not been the custom Of the Republi-
can party to assemble in state convention at
other times than when necessary TO nominate
state ticket or send delegates to national
The state committee, representing the Re-
publican party, have seen no occasion for
departure from this rule, This party has no
account OF any stewardship to render. since
for four years II has had no control over the
administration Of state affairs. Meanwhile
Republican. principles have not changed siuce
they were formally announced by state con-
the principles of Virginia Republicans are
the same as those OF the National Republican
party. We could not desire to deceive aud
nislead the voters of this state into the sup.
port OF our party,s candidates for the logisa.
ture to be elected in November next by any
announcement of our own individual advocacy
of principles which we know to be in entago.
nism to the belief and principles Of the Repnb.
lican party of the nation.
Having neither done nor omitted anything
in the discharge of any duty or trust imposed
for which we would desire 10 apologize, the
reasons necessitating the Roanoke convention
DO not exist as to the Republican party of this
state.
Nevertheless, we have resolved to present to
you this address, setting forth certain leading
facts of political history contradicting the state.
ments OF the Roanoke platform, aud to ask yon
the right of suffrage.
We shall first deal with the statements OF
that platform in the order in which they are
made:
First. AS to the Endorsement of President
Cleveland, and the declaration, which II
makes. that his administration will receive
the cordial support Of the Democratic party OF
Virginia
II this statement is sincere, then the sue.
ceeding statements demanding the immediate
reIea of the internal revenue system, and Ae
Tor the opposition of President Cleveland to
the one ana the lack Of his Endorsement of the
other of these measures Is known of all men.
HIS ] formal ana express approval OF secre, efI
upon the subject OF taxation aud revenue is
conclusive upon this question.
Secretary ManniRg not only deprecates the
fact that there Is no longer any duty or tax
imposed upon tea and coffee, but, while urg.
ing reduction Of duties Lpon such articles of
import uRs are produced In our own country.
squarely opposes any reduction OF the taxes
imposed upon tobacco, fruit Installations, and
whisky.
President Cleyeland approves these views
and recommendations Of Secretary Manning
The Democratic managers of the Roanoke
convention indorse his administration, and
yet declare for repeal of the internal revenue
system.
is great and bitter disappointment to many
Of the managers of the Democratic party Of
Virginia, is attested by loud and deep COM
only inconsistent with the advocacy of tho re-
peal of the internal revenue system, aud the
passage of the Blair educational bill, but is
time.serving and delusive.
II remains to be seen whether the people of
this state can be duped into his support, and
that of candidates for the legislature OF tho
party indorsing his administration, by the in.
consistent utterances Of the Democratic man
Second. As to the internal revenue system.
The Roanoke platform seeks to create the im.
preston among the people that the Democratic
party favors the immediate repeal of that sys-
lem. 1t may be that the Democratic mana
gers, who promulgated that PLATFORM sincerely
wish the repeal of the internal revenue system
from motives OF self.preservation; but, when
they formally declare for the repeal of the sys-
ten as part OF the Democratic faith, 1t Is APP
parent that they arc guilty of an effort to de-
ceive the voters Of this commonwealth. That
system is held by the Democratic party as a
hostage to compel the overthrow OF the Re-
publican policy OF protection to American
The authors Of the Roanoke platform know
full well that the national Democracy opposes
that repeal, and that the few Democrats In
accord with this declaration of the Roanoke
platform are in a hopeless minority Of the
Democratic party. The national Democratic
platform, upon which President Cleveland
was elected In 1881, promised no repeal of the
internal revenue system. but pledged the party
to a continuance OF the Internal revenue taxes
and their application to the payment OF pen
sions..
The National Democratic plan OF reducing
tarin duties embraces u continuance Of these
taxes, Every message of President Cleveland has
ignored any suggestion of repeal of the inter
nal revenue system and 10 the repeated efforts
OF the small minority of the Democrats who
seek its repeal, the Democratic majority of the
forty-ninth Congress, speaking through its
committee on ways ana means-speaking for
an overwhelming majority Of the Democratic
party-speaking in accord with the views OF
President Cleveland. has given the following
ubmistakahle responses on behalf of the Dem.
on the 10th July. 1886, in the House Of Rep.
resentatives OF the United States Mr.. Morrl-
son, leading Democrat and Chairman of the
committee on ways and means, on behalf OF
the Democratic majority OF the House, sub.
mitted from his committee an adverse report
upon bill ITO reduce the internal revenue
taxes" &c. That report is House document
first first session OF the forty ninth Congress, No.
5000 and contains the following langnoge:
''Attemptst to remove the tobacco and other
internal taxes are usually justified by assert
Ing these to be war taxes, and in apparent for
getfulness of the fact that so far as relates to
It's money obligations the war is not half over,
and will not be over until we have paid 81 ,OOo,.
GCo,egO yet TO be collected In taxes from the
snuii, cigarettes, &c-is largely tax on indul.
gence and excess, and its payment largely vol.
untnry. Taxes not paid on these must be paid
on necessaries OF life, and these are not neces-
saries OF life. This tax should not be re-
moved"
Upon the same day Mr.. W. G. p. Breckin-
ridge, OF Kentucky, another Democratic leader
and representative of the Democratic majority,
sI In hn nf Do Iatt
the committee on ways and means, another
adverse report upon resolution repeating
the taxes upon tobacco" That report Is
House document, No. S2lo, and contains the
"We are quite contented to defer action upon
the tobacco tax until the purpose for which 1t
was originally made has been met, or until by
the decrease Of the public debt and the revision
Of our present unjust and unequal tariff laws,
the revenues to meet 1t can be raised with less
hardship, It is q war tax, and the financial
last dollar Of our war debt is paid and the last
taxes which are now In force are the tax upon
spirits and beer, both domestic and foreign
and upon imported sugar, All of these com
bined barely suffice to meet the annual charge
for the eost OF the war, which is still upon us.
For these and other reasons we be-
lieye that IL Is expedient to maintain taxes
both upon the domestic production aud foreign
import of tobacco"
This is the later record of the national De-
mooracy, now In power, upon the question of u
repeal OF the internal revenue system But 1t
must not be forgotten that the Democratic
party, which for ten years, save for the term
q the fortyseyenth Congress, controlled the
House of Representatives, where alone any
measure for the repeal or reduction of these
taxes could be initiated, failed to act on the
subject, and that IL was by the forty-seyenth
CongIess tRepublicanl that taxes were reduced
full fny millions and the tax on tobacco was
reduced from l6 TO cents.
Yet, the leaders and managers of the Demo
pie into the belief that repeal of that system
may now be accomplished by the Democratic
party. In 1854 such pretense was successfully
Congress. The plea was that they needed the
presidency TO secure the repeal of the system,
aud the people were thus deluded into their
support. In 1856 the promise OF this repeal